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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — all right
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com